Text Size

-

+

reset

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will be in attendance, as will the top Democratic senators from the Armed Services, Foreign Relations, and Intelligence committees.

Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas), the party whips, are also expected to be there.

“The leader plans to attend the meeting at the White House,”said Don Stewart, McConnell’s spokesman. “It’s likely now that any votes Thursday will be pushed into the afternoon or evening.”

But Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and his House GOP colleagues — facing a full series of votes, including a tough fight over a border security bill — will not be traveling down Pennsylvania Ave. to meet with Obama, GOP sources said.

Republican staffers insist the decision not to attend Thursday’s meeting was not a snub of Obama or partisan gamesmanship, but instead reflects the time crunch they face as Congress wraps up its last day in session before the month-long August recess kicks off.